1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a perspiration shield which prevents and absorbs perspiration between skin surfaces in close proximity, such as beneath a woman""s breasts or in the underarm region and, more particularly, to a perspiration shield having one side which directly adheres to the skin and prevents perspiration therefrom, and an opposite side which absorbs perspiration from the skin in contact therewith.
2. Description of the Related Art
The close proximity or direct contact of adjacent skin surfaces (e.g., along the underside of a woman""s breasts or in the underarm area) can cause perspiration to develop, resulting in discomfort, skin irritation, odor or potentially embarrassing and damaging clothing stains. In recognition of this problem, various perspiration-absorbing devices have been proposed. One approach has been to permanently or removably attach a reusable or disposable absorbent pad to clothing worn adjacent the skin. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,716,255 (incorporated herein by reference in its entirety), to address the problem of perspiration beneath women""s breasts, there is disclosed a brassiere underliner which attaches to a lower portion of a brassiere via a tacky adhesive and absorbs the perspiration of the wearer. U.S. Pat. No. 5,664,984, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, discloses a disposable moisture absorbent material shaped to fit the contour of a brassiere between the breast cups and attaches to the brassiere with a conventional adhesive. U.S. Pat. No. 5,103,500, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, discloses a disposable underarm garment shield having a moisture absorbing layer which contacts the skin and is held in place by adhesive strips which secure the shield to the wearer""s clothing.
One drawback of clothing-attached pads is that the position of the clothing may shift relative to the location of the skin, so that the pad is not in proper contact with the skin, thereby reducing the effectiveness of the pad. Further, since such pads may not be form-fitting, they may cause clothing to appear bulky or misshapen.
Another approach has been to use perspiration-absorbing pads which do not attach to a garment but, instead, are held in place by relying on the shape of the garment or by relying solely on pressure from the skin surfaces and frictional forces to hold the pad in place (e.g., by wedging the pad between adjacent skin surfaces). For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,603,653, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, discloses perspiration absorbent pads adapted for placement between the overlying breast and the adjacent skin surface of the torso to prevent skin-to-skin contact and to absorb perspiration. Either a brassiere or the adjacent skin surfaces themselves can be used to hold the pads in place. One disadvantage of unattached pads is that they have a tendency to slip or shift as the wearer moves.
While clothing items which attach directly to the skin via adhesive are known, such as the strapless brassiere disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,934,593 (incorporated herein by reference in its entirety), for a variety of reasons, it has not been attempted to affix a perspiration prevention or absorption shield directly to the skin. Most adhesives which effectively adhere to the skin generally do not absorb moisture, lose their adhesive properties in the presence of moisture, and are often irritating to the skin. As a result, a shield attached directly to the skin with conventional adhesives would be ineffective in absorbing or preventing perspiration from the skin to which the shield is attached, and would have a tendency to detach from the skin in the presence of perspiration. Consequently, there remains a need for a shield that is effective in preventing or absorbing perspiration that does not require attachment to clothing and that does not tend to shift from its desired location.
It is an object of the present invention to prevent and absorb perspiration between adjacent skin surfaces which tend to exude perspiration.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a perspiration shield which is held securely in place in close proximity to the skin without requiring attachment to the wearer""s clothing.
Yet another object of the present invention is to directly adhere a perspiration shield to the wearer""s skin without causing skin irritation or loss of adhesiveness or perspiration prevention.
The aforesaid objects are achieved individually and in combination, and it is not intended that the present invention be construed as requiring two or more of the objects to be combined unless expressly required by the claims attached hereto.
According to the present invention, a perspiration shield takes the form of a multi-layered sheet that is shaped and sized to be placed between adjacent or opposing skin surfaces, such as under the breast, to prevent and absorb perspiration. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the perspiration shield is a substantially flat, rectangular strip or sheet having an absorbent layer forming one surface of the shield and a silicone gel layer forming another surface of the shield. The silicone gel layer has a soft, tacky texture and readily adheres to the skin but leaves no perceptible residue on the skin when removed. The silicone gel layer closes the pores of the skin with which the layer is in contact, thereby reducing or preventing perspiration from these pores. The absorbent layer absorbs perspiration from the pores of the skin adjacent and opposing the skin surface to which the silicon gel layer is attached and is formed of a material that readily absorbs moisture, such as those used for disposable diapers, panty liners or tampons.
The absorbent layer and the silicone gel layer can be secured to each other via an intervening elastomeric layer. The silicone gel readily adheres to one side of the elastomeric layer, while the absorbent layer is glued to the other side of the intervening elastomeric layer. In accordance with another embodiment, the absorbent layer and the silicone gel layer are directly secured to each other either by the inherent adhesiveness of the silicone gel layer to the surface of the absorbent layer or by glue. The silicone gel layer may be reinforced with another material such as a polyester meshwork backing or similar mesh material.
After peeling a protective film from the outer surface of the silicone gel layer, the perspiration shield is secured beneath the breast either by placing the silicon gel layer directly on the skin of the torso beneath the breast or by placing the silicon gel layer on the skin of the lower portion of the breast.
The perspiration shield of the present invention can be a substantially flat, rectangular strip or sheet, or the perspiration shield can be arcuate or contoured to fit the curves of the underside of the breast, with the perspiration shield being curved or tapered in one or more of its dimensions (i.e., length, width and thickness). The perspiration shield is sufficiently flexible to be bent or molded to a degree to substantially conform to the contours of the skin surface over which the shield is attached. In general, the multi-layer perspiration shield of the present invention can be shaped and sized to be placed in any folds or creases of skin where perspiration tends to develop between adjacent or opposing skin surfaces, such as in the underarm area.
The above and still further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of specific embodiments thereof, particularly when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals in the various figures are utilized to designate like components.